“Cough, cough.” Suddenly, a light coughing came from the hospital bed. The girl slowly opened her eyes, but perhaps the sunlight was too dazzling, and she closed them again, not moving any further. The ward fell silent, with only sunlight filtering through the slightly ajar window, casting mottled patterns on the floor and the corners of the walls.
Before long, movement came again. The girl on the bed slowly opened her eyes, looking slightly incredulous, widening them a little.
She glanced around at her surroundings. This should be a hospital, but which hospital was it? Why did it feel so antiquated? It was the twenty-first century—was this hospital going for a nostalgic style? The ward was as simple as it could get.
Looking up, she saw another bed across from her, but it was empty. Between the two beds sat a table with an enamel pot decorated with peonies. On the wall hung a portrait of a great leader, with the words “Serve the People” beside it.
The entire scene gave off a different kind of atmosphere. At that moment, faint voices of a woman and a boy could be heard outside, gradually approaching. The ward door suddenly opened. A boy of about ten dashed toward the bed, shouting, “Sister!”
The woman quickly called out, “Slow down, don’t bump into your sister,” and then entered. Seeing the girl awake on the bed, she said, “Yaoyao, you’re awake! Mom just saw you sleeping and went to make some chicken soup for you. Since you just fell into the water, drink some hot soup to get warm.”
The girl looked at the woman, her eyes gradually reddening. The woman looked exactly like her late mother, though this mother was no longer young; a few strands of gray showed, revealing the marks of time.
The girl couldn’t hold back and tears fell. The boy at the bedside panicked, unsure what to do. “Sister, what’s wrong? Don’t cry! Did someone push you into the water? I’ll get revenge for you!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he got hit on the head. He quickly covered his head, eyes wide, looking at the one who hit him, silently protesting.
The woman said to her son, “Don’t talk nonsense. Revenge? With your little arms and legs, how could you ever fight anyone? They could have sold you off! Leave this to your father and mother; we’ll handle it.”
The girl couldn’t help but giggle, and the atmosphere brightened. The woman—no, her mother—turned to Lin Shiyao and said, “Darling, how do you feel? Any discomfort? Mom will call the doctor.”
Lin Shiyao hurriedly said, “Mom, I’m fine, much better.” It had been many years since she last called her mother, and saying it made her throat tighten and brought a surge of tears.
Seeing her about to cry again, her mother quickly poured the chicken soup from the thermos, brought it to the bedside, and helped Lin Shiyao sit up so she could drink it more easily. “Why are you getting more and more emotional? Don’t rush. Eat well first and take care of your body. We’ll handle everything else for you. That black-hearted girl—we will never let her off.”
Having her mother by her side felt wonderful. It also reminded her of why she had come to this body.
In fact, Lin Shiyao already remembered who she was and how she ended up here. The original owner had been betrayed by so-called friends and lost her life, which allowed this otherworldly soul to take over.
[Alternate history, alternate history, alternate history—important enough to say three times. Do not cross-reference real history if anything seems inconsistent.]